I must confess that I have become a fan of Frederick Regenold's writing and stories. I had been waiting for his next book to come out. TANTO is a riveting story of a Japanese girl who comes to La Jolla, California, from Japan to seek revenge on a man who is president of a bank there. The retaliation of an incident, which happened in Japan by a U.S. Navy man, is being carried out by the granddaughter in the present time. A tanto is the short sword used in seppuku, or as I had always thought it was called, hara-kiri. I learned that is not the proper term for this method of suicide in Japan. The latter is the less than moral verbiage of an honorable suicide. I have learned a lot of new words from reading this book.
I found that the trademark of this writer is his ability to describe a scene so that the reader thinks he/she is right there. The suspense is exciting clear to the end. I am a man and don't cry much in movies or stories, but I cried through the last two chapters in this book. The story is so sensitive, so feeling, so touching.
I have found that the author is a stickler for accurate detail of items, places, and in this story, the techniques in martial arts and places described. He takes the time to research, like Louis L'Amour did in his novels. I love the short chapters, so that I feel like I am making progress as I read this mystery.
This author is a true artist. To be sure, he does have a lot of sex in it. I once made a point to contact him and ask him questions about his writings. When I asked why he has the sexual part so graphic, his answer was, "I love sex, and sex is part of life, so I write it the way it really happens in life between `boys and girls'."
Like the previous books written, the author sets the scene in La Jolla, where I happen to live. After reading all of his books, I still see the figures of the characters, he created, around town in our little village. I see them in the restaurants, at the beach, in the bank and the usual places one frequents when you live here.
He sure knows how to make the characters come alive and awaken our town with intrigue, excitement, mystery, murder and action. Whew!
I hope he writes yet another one. I am on his mailing list, so I was one of the first to read his new novel, TANTO. I am glad I did.

 -William J. Mitchell